


armor, or "chain mail"

by TabbyKattene



Series: letter perfect [2]
Category: Drag-On Dragoon | Drakengard
Genre: Epistolary, F/F, Tags May Change, again I say if you don't cringe at least once a chapter I wrote something wrong, cause like who doesn't love that, if canon can do a route b so can my fanfic, slowburn enemies to lovers, will this relationship become even more complicated than it was in the first fic? only god knows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26519251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabbyKattene/pseuds/TabbyKattene
Summary: zero knows her days are numbered, and she knows because said numbers won't stop sending her letters.
Relationships: Five/Zero (Drag-On Dragoon)
Series: letter perfect [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928257
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	armor, or "chain mail"

**Author's Note:**

> as I said in the tag... if canon gets to have a route b, so can my fanfiction. 
> 
> this is dedicated to everyone who has encouraged me to write a happy ending to "sore." I refuse to confirm or deny that this is a happy ending story, but I have at least one other epistolary zero/five fic in the works and that one IS happy so just know there WILL be a Good End and (hopefully) you WILL like it.
> 
> also! dunno if this is relevant to anyone but- if you didn't read "sore," you're fine to start here without going and reading that one. also welcome!!! I hope you enjoy the story.

_ To my dear, sweet sister Zero, _

_ I’ve heard it said that the polite way to greet new neighbors is in person, with a casserole. Alas, my duties as Intoner and overseer (or over-sea-er) of this Land have rendered me incapable of coming to see you. What a pity!  _

_ It has been a week and a half since last I gazed upon your beautiful figure. Even then, there were few chances to really take my time with you. It all happened so fast. How I wish I could have a second chance at it all- to trace my blade down your body so lightly, promising you pleasure and pain by my hand. I wanted you to lay down your arms and lay down in my arms. Resistance is fun for a while, but gets dreadfully boring dreadfully fast. _

_ Of course I understand your point of view, my darling. They call me shameless and I am inclined to agree, but I know not everyone is similarly blatant with their intentions. For you and I… in front of each and every one of our sisters… I’m no fool and I do recognize it isn’t your ideal situation. Is this why you found your way to my domain? How long have you been in that tiny shack? When were you going to come and meet me? Or at least send a letter?  _

_ I’m excited to have you near once again, my sweet Zero. So very, very, very excited. Wink wink. _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your dearest sister and most welcoming neighbor, Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **oh whatever shall i do, the bimbo sister found out where i went camping for a week. we’re not neighbors, five. i found a shack. i stayed in the shack. i am moving away from the shack. do you think i’m as stupid as you are, idiot? do you think that my brain is two parts boobs and one part cooch like yours?**
> 
> **i was always moving on. by the time you get this letter, i’ll be somewhere else. hasta fucking luego.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Oh Zero, _

_ Your words wounded me so deeply, like something pushed just a little bit too far in a little bit too fast. Surely you don’t think I’m brainless? A one track mind does not equal no mind at all. I’ve tried so hard these past few days to convince myself that you’re simply a little grumpy. It would certainly explain your attempt on my life a couple of weeks ago, and it could explain your cruel, hurtful words.  _

_ However, I have to say- I think you believe I really am that stupid! After all, you haven’t moved from the shack where I first found you, despite your words. Were you trying to throw me off your trail, sweet one? _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your clever little sister Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **you make me want to puke.**
> 
> **i’m leaving for real this time, and when i’m better i’m gonna kill you twice as hard for basically evicting me. that shack was golden. barely leaked if it wasn’t raining. what am i gonna do now, sleep in the woods like some dumbass animal?**
> 
> **fuck you.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Zero, _

_ Oh, how easy you make this! It’s almost as though you’re trying to encourage a little bit of banter. You weren’t much for the foreplay when last we met. There were all five of your beautiful sisters there trying to talk to you… but no, you wanted to jump to the meat of the matter. _

_ I still don’t understand why you wanted to kill us, Zero darling. You’d be denying a lot of people my perky tits. Can’t stand sharing? _

_ Four won’t stop badgering the rest of us about it. She thinks you’re possessed. She thinks you’re haunted. I suggested an elaborate roleplay combined with a weaponry fetish, but she didn’t take that well. Of course, with her having no practice in taking things at all, whatever did I expect? _

_ I’d love to hear your reasoning, now that we aren’t all fighting for our lives. I’ve run out of fresh reading material and I’m sure this would make me wet as the seas my land takes its name from. _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your ever curious Five _

* * *

> **HOW IN THE GODDAMN DID YOU FIND MY LOCATION.**

* * *

_ Sweet Zero, _

_ I had my guards look for the person flying away from your shack on a dragon. It wasn’t magic or anything, simply common sense. The challenge then wasn’t in managing to keep an eye on you as you settled in among those perky, pointy mountains. It was simply in persuading dear sister Four to allow my guards into her domain. I’ll never understand why she has such a personal vendetta against me! _

_ While I am awfully miffed that you decided to move, I console myself by thinking that it wasn’t my fault, not really. I would have loved for you to stay safe and sound in the Land of Seas. But you’re playing hard to get, and I respect that. Personally, I like to play it easy, but I’m flexible. Very, very flexible. _

_ Tell that adorable dragon that I said hello. I assume he’s Michael’s new incarnation? Whoever would have thought such a big, scary dragon could make such a cute kid? I’d almost like to keep him all for myself. You too, of course, though in quite a different manner. What a happy family we’d be. Are you still planning on killing me? Maybe next time you submit to me (or for me) we can have some fun. _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your willing and waiting sister Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **don’t put yourself out on my account. i don’t need your dumb letters. they make me nauseous, just like your body does. they’re as disgusting as you are.**
> 
> **also don’t fucking talk about or write about michael. if you ever mention him again i’ll cut your hands off and feed them to you before i drive my sword into that thick skull of yours.**
> 
> **fuck you.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Dearest Zero, _

_ You really do make this too easy, sister. If you’re that into painplay, we could stop all the palaver and cut right to the heart of the matter? Pun intended of course.  _

_ Not that I’m not having fun as things are. My heart races and my pussy squirts just from reading your words. And who am I to deny you your enjoyment? I’d love to see that telltale half-crazed look on your face. You’re so serious and so brutal- even your smiles are clothed in armor and given only once you announce that you’ve come prepared to kill! Don’t you get exhausted from your own sobriety? Aren’t you just aching to come undone? Is that why you’ve even bothered responding to these little notes? _

_ How is the Land of Mountains treating you? You’re surprisingly close to the border. Are you afraid that Four will find you as I found you in my Land? She won’t, of course. She never learned the art of observation. Why would she have to? You can hardly memorize the curves and curls of someone’s body when your entire citizenship is dressed in modest little potato sacks. You’re perfectly safe, provided you don’t think to show an inch of skin.  _

_ Send me a postcard, won’t you, sister? _

_ XOXO, _

_ Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **you’re boring me.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Zero, _

_ And yet, you continue to write back. _

_ XOXO, _

_ Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **yeah well i’m not gonna do that anymore. that last letter was my last one.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ To my naive sister Zero, _

_ You just wrote to me again, so that “last letter” was hardly the last letter.  _

_ XOXO, _

_ Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **what? no. go to a math class, moron.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Dear Five, _

_ I’m sorry to send you this message out of the blue, especially in a time like this. Ever since the incident, I know that everyone’s been really frightened! I wish that we could all hunker down in my war fortress together as sisters like we’re meant to, but One is right that we each have a duty to our people, above the duty that we have to ourselves. I want to try to be the absolute best ruler that I can for her! With Zero so sick, she is the eldest of us, after all, and I’d hate it if she were to get upset. She’s so stressed all the time! _

_ That’s why I’m writing you this letter. I’m really confused, Five! I’ve received reports of your guards poking around in the Land of Mountains, close to the border. I don’t want to think that my little sister might be planning an invasion. It’s been such a hard few weeks on us already and I don’t think I could take any more heartbreak. Five, if this is you, I have to insist you stop doing this before I am forced to deploy my own troops in a counteroffensive. Of course, if this isn’t the Five I know… if whatever made Zero so changed has now rooted itself in you… please tell us! I know we’re all different, but I have full faith that each and every Intoner will rally together to help you.  _

_ Those of us who remain- whether you are included or not- have a duty to protect this poor, broken world. Please prove to me that you would never stand against me as I try to mend all that is broken. I won’t stop until I have helped One achieve her vision of a peaceful continent, no matter what that means or how it hurts me. And it would really hurt me to have to fight you, Five! I don’t want to fight, I really just don’t, but I will if it’s the only choice I’m given. _

_ All my love and kisses, _

_ Four _

_ Ruler of the Land of Mountains _

_ All Hail _

* * *

_ Four, _

_ Of course I’d not threaten your precious space, dear sister. Why would I have the need? I can’t imagine sunbathing in the nude on a mountain! I merely sent my guards to the perimeter so that I could say I’ve done my job as a ruler and patrolled. I know that One wouldn’t want either of us to slack in our duties, now would she? _

_ Of course, if you are still concerned, I invite you to visit the Land of Seas. It’s quite a relaxing place! I’m sure you’d find plenty of ways to destress, and I know my attendants would be very friendly to you indeed. Just send a letter back if that’s something you’re interested in.  _

_ I would love to hear that you’re coming! _

_ If you sadly decide that you’ll pass on my generous offer, don’t feel you have to respond! But the second I get that letter, I won’t even open it before preparing to receive you. You’ll be completely taken care of, and don’t worry about intruding- there are so many beds here, I’d say I hardly know what to do with all of them, except for that I very much do! _

_ Do think about my invitation!  _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your sister Five _

* * *

_ Zero, my darling sister, _

_ I wanted to write to you to give you a heads up that Four has her eyes on the border of the Land of Mountains. I hardly think it’s safe for you to remain there anymore! Perhaps you should find somewhere else to try and heal. Maybe this time you could find a less remote hideout? My guards have a terrible time reaching you to deliver these letters.  _

_ Plus, if you were a little more accessible, you wouldn’t have to lick your wounds alone. Someone else may be willing and able to lick them all for you! _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your concerned sister Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **like hell i’d fall for that. i’m not gonna move back into your area and into your trap just so you can get rid of me while i’m down. i’m out for your blood and so there’s no fucking way that you’ll get me that easily. if you want me, you’ll have to come for me yourself.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Zero, darling, _

_ Oh, I’ll have to come for you? _

_ XOXO, _

_ Five _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **after that response, don’t you fucking dare. i don’t care how goddamn injured i am i’ll find a way to murder you before you try.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

_ Sweet Zero, _

_ You talk such big talk for someone who is, well, unarmed! Am I allowed to bring that up? I’m sure it’s terribly hard on you. When you’re alone with nobody to help you out, how do you pick where to touch first?  _

_ Ah, but I’m off track. This is serious, isn’t it? You really do want to kill us all, your sisters, the only ones in the world who can understand what it’s like to be beautiful and powerful and horny all at once? You’ll be ever so alone, Zero. I’d understand maybe if you said you wanted to kill all the humans who can hardly keep up, but your own family? I just can’t understand! Won’t you explain it to me?  _

_ XOXO, _

_ Your confused sister Five _

* * *

_ Dear One, _

_ I really hope you don’t mind me writing to you just this once! I know that your plan was to separate us with hopes that less contact means less of a chance that Zero would be able to take each and every one of us down. You know I would do anything for you, sister! I trust you completely! I just don’t understand why letters from you could be dangerous, but I’m so certain you have a reason. For that, I apologize for not following your request, but I just have such a problem and I know that you’re the only one who could help me. _

_ Five had all these soldiers poking around in my Land of Mountains. I asked her if it was an invasion- oh, it would be terrible if whatever horrible thing came over our Zero was taking over Five as well- but she denied it wholeheartedly, Then she made all these horrible threats and told me not to contact her again. I tried so, so hard to be a good leader on my own before reaching out for advice. I watched her guards coming and going, and they have all these letters. I’m almost certain that Five is communicating with someone and she doesn’t want me to know about it, and it’s probably a treacherous action. _

_ Oh One, I want to be an Intoner worthy of living up to the expectations you’ve set for us. I don’t want you to waltz in and solve my silly little problems, but if you could just tell Five to please not commit treason in the Land of Mountains, I’d really love it! I’ll continue to investigate here, even if it means I have to climb up Mt. Bernstein of the Vice Norden myself. Even if I have to raise my weapon and don my armor. I will do anything to keep you, our sisters, and our people safe and sound. _

_ Your ever so loving sister and admirer, _

_ Four _

* * *

> **five,**
> 
> **here’s the explanation: i want all the power. i want yours. i want four’s. i want three’s and two’s and one’s. i’m going to get it. after all, no matter what you may think, i’m never helpless. even without weapons or limbs to wield them with, i have an armor that you wouldn’t be able to comprehend. you just don’t have the brain cells. or even a brain.**
> 
> **enjoy the last bit of your life, you slutty moron.**
> 
> **zero**

* * *

Four,

I am not going to write to Five.

You of course have the right to investigate your own land, but I remind you that we separated for a reason and it was  _ you _ who asked for the land with the largest and most impenetrable fort. I hope you remember that.

My advice is thus: do not be concerned about this. I have an idea about what happened to Zero, and I am working on a solution to the problem. I promise that Five is no more or less guilty than you are in whatever is going on.

Please do not write to me again unless it is an emergency.

One

(Sent via Eye Messenger)

* * *

_ Dearest Zero, _

_ Oh, so you’re a dom! Not surprising, and certainly no problem. I’m very, very flexible. _

_ XOXO, _

_ Five _

* * *

> To the Most Exalted Intoner, Lady Four,
> 
> As you have requested, enclosed is a map which details the results of all recent intelligence-gathering missions in the area of Mt. Bernstein of the Vice Norden. 
> 
> In addition, enclosed is a letter intercepted from a Land of Seas guard found in the area. The guard requests asylum, stating he fears his fate due to his inability to complete the delivery mission Lady Five sent him on. We await your decision.

* * *

_ Deny him asylum. No proper Land of Mountains resident is scared of Lady Five. He’s proven he isn’t worthy of living here.  _

_ After passing that on, I kindly request that you deliver the attached letter to the proper residence. I know it will be hard to find, but I believe in your ability, Mister Guard! _

_ Lady Four _

_ Ruler of the Land of Mountains _

_ All Hail _

* * *

_ Zero, _

_ You don’t have to hide anymore, dear sister! I know where you are, and I know you’ve been talking to Five. You’ll talk to me too, right? I just want to help. _

_ All my love, and all my worry, _

_ Four _

_ Ruler of the Land of Mountains _

_ All Hail _


End file.
